The Permian Basin was rattled Friday night by yet another significant earthquake following action last week by regulators to control wastewater disposal wells. A 5.4 magnitude quake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey around 5:35 p.m. with an epicenter nearly 14 miles northwest of Midland, Texas. The quake that prompted the Texas Railroad …
Category: General
Controversial pipeline wins approval in Missouri and Illinois
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission signed off on a natural gas pipeline in Missouri and Illinois, giving Spire Inc. permission to begin construction. The approval came after a lawsuit had been filed by an environmental group that opposed the Spire STL Pipeline reported the Associated Press. Click here for Associated Press
US begins buyback to replace oil in Strategic Petroleum Reserve
After selling 180 million barrels of oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Biden administration says it is replacing it. The Energy Department announced Friday it will begin the buyback in February when it purchases 3 million barrels of crude oil reported Reuters. Click here for Reuters
Icahn busy buying up Southwest Gas after bitter fight
This week’s $1.5 billion Williams Cos. acquisition of MountainWest Pipelines Holding Co. revealed how activist investor Carl Icahn can play the game. Last year, he was embroiled in a bitter fight with Southwest Gas Holdings, the firm that sold its pipeline operations to Williams. Southwest didn’t reach a deal with Icahn, the man who …
Is Texas power grid ready to handle Siberian blast of frigid weather?
Less than two years after Texas was hit with brutally cold weather that left much of the state without power, grid operators are wondering what the coming week’s wintry blast will do. Temperatures in central Oklahoma are expected to fall to day-time highs in the teens and in Texas, they’ll be into the low …
Keystone pipeline leak cleanup presents major challenge
The recent leak of 14,000 barrels of crude oil from the Keystone pipeline in northern Kansas wasn’t your ordinary oil pipeline leak—if there can be such a thing. This spill involved tar sands oil from Canada and because of that, the cleanup will be more than difficult than spills of your typical crude oil …
Crude oil prices dropped after 3 straight days of gains
Some Oklahoma energy stocks recorded a more than 9% gain in Thursday’s trading as crude oil prices fell about 2% because of the fuel demand outlook and more interest rate hikes by global central banks. Crude prices dropped after three straight days of gains. West Texas Intermediate crude for January delivery dropped $1.17 or …
Summit launches pipeline project in Lawton
A pipeline upgrade by SummitUtilities will result in the availability of more natural gas to west Lawton, including the Goodyear tire manufacturing plant. The Southwest Ledger reported the project involves installation of 12 inch pipe, replacing the existing 10-inch line. Click here for Southwest Ledger
Regulators nervous about 2023 relocation from Jim Thorpe building
Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners were told Thursday that a relocation site for the agency necessitated by a March start of $70 million in renovations to their headquarters building has yet to be found. Brandy Wreath, the General Administrator of the Commission said temporary sites have been found for some of the smaller agencies that also …
Enverus rig count showed drop of 17 rigs in U.S.
This week’s rig count from Enverus Foundations showed a major decline of 17 rigs, as the nation’s total number of oil and gas rigs slid to 860 as of the week ending Dec. 14. That includes a decline of four rigs in the Anadarko Basin leaving 87 in operation. The Williston Basin in North …